Chicago's August Wilson Monologue Competition Finalists Announced

Goodman Theatre and Derrick Sanders, in collaboration with the Department of Theatre and Music at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), the League of Chicago Theatres, American Theater Company, Court Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre and Atlanta's True Colors Theatre Company are proud to announce the finalists of Chicago's August Wilson Monologue Competition. The finalists will deliver their monologues on March 19 at 6pm at Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn); admission is free, and reservations are not required.

Open to Chicago area high school students, the August Wilson Monologue competition exposes students to the richness of Wilson'sCentury Cycle, and incorporates the plays into the standard high school curriculum. The competition's preliminary round, held at UIC from February 27 to February 29, included monologues from 250 students across Chicago area schools and was judged by Chicago theater professionals Shanesia Davis, Yasen Peyankov, Jocelyn Prince, Willa Taylor and competition organizer Derrick Sanders. This year the competition drew support from the education programs of American Theater Company, Court Theatre, and Victory Gardens.

The 2012 finalists are: Jamaya Austin, Lincoln Park High School; Xavier Bady,   Central Visual Performing Arts High School, St. Louis; Camale Brown, Simeon Career Academy – Court Theatre; Morgan Brown, Southland College Prep; Janyce Caraballo,Chicago High School for the Arts – American Theater Company; David Dowd, King College Prep – Gallery 37; Martin Downes, Chicago High School for the Arts; Veronica Fernandez, Lincoln Park High School; Kimberly Florian, Lincoln Park High School;Tiffany Fulson, Dunbar High School – Gallery 37; Ryonn Gloster, Gallery 37; Christian Helem, Chicago High School for the Arts – American Theater Company; Donyelle Monson, King College Prep – Court Theatre; Michael Morrow, Chicago High School for the Performing Arts; Maya Neita, Hyde Park Academy – Court Theatre; Jonathan Nieves, Schurz High School – Victory Gardens;Andrew Perez, Lincoln Park High School; Precious Rule, Simeon Career Academy – Court Theatre; Jamal Sims, South East High School and Krystal Snyder, Simeon Career Academy – Court Theatre. 

 

"We are delighted that more theatres involved students from their education programs in the competition this year," remarks Deb Clapp, Executive Director of the League of Chicago Theatres. "The competition is a unique opportunity for students to be exposed to different theatres as well as the work of August Wilson." 

 

"In other cities such as Los Angles, Atlanta, Boston, New York and Seattle, the competition is held through a single host theater. But with my partners, Goodman Theater, The League of Chicago Theatres and University of Illinois - Chicago, Department of Theatre and Music, we have developed an unique model to the August Wilson Monologue Competition that no other city shares," says Chicago's competition organizer Derrick Sanders.  "Chicago's competition unites and celebrates, not only the opus of August Wilson, but theatres and schools across Chicagoland. With the addition of Court Theatre, Victory Gardens and American Theater Company, this competition has become a city-wide celebration of this great playwrights work." 

 

The finals will be held on March 19, 2012, at Goodman Theatre, the first theatre in the world to produce all ten plays in the Century Cycle, Wilson's decade-by-decade exploration of the 20^th century African American experience. The monologues will be judged by Narda Alcorn (Stage Manager of August Wilson productions on Broadway), Alana Arenas (Steppenwolf Ensemble Member), Tanera Marshall (Chair of the Department of Theatre and Music at UIC) and CedRic Young (professional Chicago actor). The top three monologues will receive $500, $250 and $100 scholarships, respectively, and

an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to compete in the national finals on Broadway at the August Wilson Theatre in May 2012. A copy of August Wilson's Century Cycle will be given to the high schools of all 20 finalists.  The top monolguist in Chicago will also receive a scholarship to UIC for one semester of tuition and fees. 

 

About the Competition
Students perform a short monologue of their choosing from one of the ten plays in Wilson's Century Cycle and are judged by a panel of Chicago theatre professionals on their preparedness, understanding of the text, emotional connection to the material and commitment to the performance.  

 

Chicago's participation in this national event is coordinated by Derrick Sanders, who hopes to continue building robust partnerships with schools across Chicago, encouraging the adoption of August Wilson's work into the standard curriculum.  These partnerships create educational opportunities that allow students to connect to August Wilson and his work through the study of history, social studies and literature.

Todd Kreidler, Associate Artistic Director of True Colors Theatre Company, emphasizes, "This monologue competition offers students of all races the opportunity to inhabit the lives and speak the words of these vital, lively characters."

About the Century Cycle
August Wilson's Century Cycle is a singular achievement in American theatre.  Each of the ten world-class plays is set in a different decade of the twentieth century. At the plays' core are soaring, lyrical monologues that take the rich song, laughter, and pain of the African American experience and place it in the mouths of the most varied ensemble of characters created since Shakespeare. Learn more about Wilson's Century Cycle here: https://www.tcg.org/publications/augustwilson/index.cfm

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